Dietrich called up to replace Furcal; no timetable set for Furcal's return

June 22, 2014|By Ryan S. Clark, Sun Sentinel

MIAMI —

Getting contact is what Derek Dietrich does best especially if the result is getting hit by a pitch.

The second baseman returned to the Miami Marlins on Sunday after spending most of June in Triple-A New Orleans. He replaces Rafael Furcal who left in the third inning in the club's 4-0 loss to the New York Mets on Saturday.

Furcal was running down the first base line when he grabbed his left hamstring. The Marlins put him on the 15-day disabled list. Marlins manager Mike Redmond said there's no timetable for Furcal's return.

"It's going to be a while for him," Redmond said of Furcal. "Derek went down and worked hard and he was swinging the bat really well. We have to get him in there and hopefully he'll be a spark for us on offense."

Dietrich was hitting .340 with six home runs and 15 RBI in 13 games with the Zephyrs. He started off on a eight-game hitting streak until going 1 for 9 in his last three games.

He said playing in New Orleans gave him a chance to find his swing and put together some good at-bats.

It also meant he refined another skill of his with being hit by pitches. Dietrich was beaned eight times in his 41 games with the Marlins this season. He took seven in 57 games in 2013.

"Of course I did," he said when asked if he was hit by pitches with the Zephyrs. "I got hit a few times and they were joking with me that I was almost leading the team in hit by pitches in just 10 games. I don't know what it is."

Dietrich said he took a 6 a.m. flight from New Orleans arriving in Miami at 8:50 a.m. before taking batting practice.

He was hitting .246 with five home runs and 16 RBI with the Marlins before his demotion.

Ready to fill in

The Marlins middle infield got a bit of a different look on Saturday.

An injury to shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria ruled him out hours before first pitch. Then Furcal's injury really put the Marlins' middle infield out of commission.

Enter Ed Lucas and Jeff Baker.

"Our team is prepared and we have guys on the bench who know what they're doing," Baker said. "You have a routine and preparation that you do throughout the game normally. You have to step up a little earlier when an injury comes up."

Lucas was arguably the Marlins' best hitter going 2 for 4 while Baker showed some patience seeing eight pitches in his two at-bats.

"When you are a bench guy you kind of have to be ready," Lucas said. "You assume you are going to have until the fourth or fifth inning until you have to worry about being a pinch hitter or a double switch. You also have to be ready if someone goes down."